Greenland Opposition Party Wins Election Held In Trump's Shadow

Greenland voters sent a strong signal on Tuesday that they support leaders who will support the Arctic island's sovereignty, even as President Trump pushes to annex the territory.

Greenland's center-right Demokraatit party, whose leaders have been critical of Trump’s takeover talk, won nearly 30 percent of the vote — a dramatic jump from the last election four years ago.

Naleraq, the most aggressively pro-independence party on the ballot, came in second with nearly 25 percent of the vote.

The incumbent ruling party, the democratic socialist Inuit Ataqatigiit led by Greenland Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede, came in third with about 21 percent of the vote — down from 36 percent it claimed four years ago.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. All of the major parties on Tuesday's ballot have supported some form of breakaway from Denmark, but with different paths.

Demokraatit has cautioned against fast-tracking the sovereignty movement.

"We don't want independence tomorrow, we want a good foundation," Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit's leader and a former minister of industry and minerals, told reporters after votes were counted.

Polls have shown widespread support among the island's residents for Greenland to become an independent country, but concerns over the impact on its economy and foreign policy remain.

While the parliamentary election has lofted sovereignty supporters, it's unclear when Greenlanders will have a vote on the broader issue.

"Once the new coalition is formed, Greenlandic parties will likely begin internal negotiations on how to advance the process of increasing independence from Denmark while ensuring economic and social stability,” Anne Merrild, a professor at Denmark's Aalborg University, told USA Today.

Since reclaiming the White House in January, Trump has ramped up calls for the U.S. to take control of Greenland.

“I think we’re going to get it,” Trump said during his speech to a joint session of Congress on March 4. “One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”

Trump and his allies argue that U.S. control of the natural resources-rich land is “an absolute necessity” for national security.